Large arbor fly fishing reel and drag system

ABSTRACT

A fly fishing reel comprises a large diameter spool having a broad width and a shallow line storage depth. The reel may have an arm-like body and a unique mounting member which, when attached to a fishing rod, positions the perimeter of the spool across a longitudinal axis of the rod. In an additional aspect, a drag mechanism is provided in a center hub of the spool. The drag mechanism is a unidirectional dual cone drag mechanism. The drag mechanism comprises a pair of opposing frictional conical race members, an inner race member inserted into an outer race member. The race members are biased into contact to create drag on the rotating spool. A roller clutch is utilized to produce a unidirectional drag mechanism. The roller clutch is configured to lock thereby causing relative rotation of the race members creating frictional drag only when the spool is rotated in the “reeling out direction.” In another aspect, the roller clutch may be carried by a reversible clutch ring which detachably couples to one of the race members. The clutch ring is reversible thereby allowing the reel to be converted between left hand wind and right hand wind by simple reversing the clutch ring.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/211,842,filed on Dec. 15, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,871, which is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/132,953, filed Aug. 12,1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,445, which is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 08/926,178, filed on Sep. 9, 1997, now U.S. Pat.No. 5,915,639, which is based on provisional patent application Ser. No.60/019,760 filed Sep. 9, 1996. The disclosures of each of these priorapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to fishing reels, and more particularly toimprovements in fly fishing reels, such as providing an improved largearbor spool, an improved mounting configuration, and an innovative dragmechanism.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fly fishing is a popular and rapidly growing sport. Fly fishingequipment typically includes a fly reel attached to a fly rod, and flyline. A portion of the fly line is wound onto the reel, and anotherportion is typically threaded through eyelets on the rod. The other endof the fly line is joined to the “fly.” In this sport, an artificial flyis usually used as bait. The artificial fly is dressed to simulate aninsect and typically comprises a fish hook fabricated with fur,feathers, or the like, in order to resemble an insect, or other forage,preferred by fish.

When performing the activity of fly fishing, the fisherman projects or“casts” the fly to an area where fish are expected to be. It is oftennecessary to cast the fly a substantial distance away because fish areeasily frightened away from a fisherman or a boat. Moreover, it issometimes desirable to be able to cast into an area that is not easilyaccessible to the fisherman's person or his boat.

The flies used in fly fishing are extremely light weight andconsequently, the fly line makes up virtually all of the casting weight.Hence, effective fly casting comes down to the ability to efficientlypropel a portion of line through the air. The most common technique isperformed by holding the rod and reel in one hand and at the same timeholding and feeding the line from the reel in the other hand whileswinging the rod back and forth creating a loop of fly line between theend of the rod and the fly. Then, a forward casting motion, similar to awhipping motion, is executed and the line is released, propelling theline and the fly across the water. The fly line acts somewhat like awhip in order to propel the line and fly a distance away from thefisherman. The artificial fly is then manipulated in the water to lureand hook a fish.

Fly casting is an extremely dexterous skill involving very subtle armand wrist movements and is usually learned only after a long period ofpractice and refinement. Fly casting involves such a fluid, delicate andprecise motion, that it is often described as an art form. Moreover,during a day of fly fishing, a fisherman can often make more than athousand casts. With this in mind, it can be seen that the overallweight and proper balance of a fly fishing rod and reel assembly arecritically important.

Due to the desirability of light weight and proper balance of the rodand reel assembly, conventional fly fishing reels have been relativelysmall in size, having both a small spool diameter and a narrow spoolwidth. Conventional fly fishing reels have inner spool diametersdesigned only large enough to accommodate an axle and may be as small asone-half inch in diameter. Typical spool widths are about ¾″. The smallspool diameter and narrow spool involve several significant drawbacks.Firstly, the small diameter causes sizable plastic deformation (“linememory”) of the fly line wound on the small diameter spool. This effectis similar to the characteristics seen in a coiled spring. Line memoryis undesirable because it can cause tangling of the line and snagging inthe rod guides. This effect is worsened by the fact that the narrowspool requires that the spool also be very deep in order to holdsufficient line that creates an even smaller inner spool diameter. Thus,the line at the innermost diameter of the spool has a very small windingradius.

Secondly, with a narrow spool, the spool must also be deep in order toprovide storage capacity for a sufficient amount of line. The ratio ofthe spool width to the depth of line is termed the line-storage aspectratio. In other words, the narrower the spool, the greater the depth ofspool line needed resulting in a small aspect ratio. Typical fly fishingreels have line storage depths greater than one inch (1″), and usuallygreater than {fraction (1 1/2)}″. The drag torque on the spool offishing reels tends to be nearly constant. As a result, as line isreeled on or off the reel, the tension on the line changes as the radiusof the line on the spool changes. For instance, as more and more line isreeled off, the tension on the line increases as the diameter of theline on the spool decreases because the drag torque remains roughlyconstant unless manually adjusted. The narrower and deeper the spool,the greater is the change in the drag torque for a given amount of linechange on the spool. Because both of the fisherman's hands are usuallyoccupied with the rod and line while fly fishing, it is inconvenient andcumbersome to adjust the reel drag. Therefore, it is impractical tofrequently adjust the reel drag while reeling in or letting out line tocompensate for the changes in the radius of the line on the spool.

In addition, the small spool diameter results in slower line retrievalfor a given rotational winding speed of the spool. To increase thewinding speed of the spool, some fly fishing reels are equipped with atransmission system, usually consisting of reduction gears between thespool and the hand crank. However, a transmission system makes the reelassembly more complex, adds parts, and increases weight.

To address the problems of slow line retrieval speed and plastic linedeformation, a reel having an increased diameter spool has beendisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,056. The disclosed spool retains thenarrow width of conventional reel designs, thereby requiring arelatively deep spool. The reel described therein has exposed bearingrollers for providing drag on the spool. The rollers, however, producethe same amount of drag in both rotational directions so that thefisherman must reel against the drag when retrieving line. This is ahighly undesirable result. Furthermore, the increased diameter reel isattached using the conventional configuration having a “foot” extendingfrom the top extremity of the reel circumference. The scat clamps to therod. In this configuration, increasing the diameter of the reel movesthe center of mass of the reel further from the axis of the rod therebyincreasing the moment about the rod and upsetting the balance of the rodand reel assembly.

In order to control the speed in which the spool of the reel can spinand, in turn, the speed the line can be run-off, especially by a runningfish, fly reels generally employ some type of brake or drag mechanism. Adrag mechanism applies frictional torque to the spool thereby preventingthe spool from freely spinning that can cause line tangles. Theappropriate drag torque is set such that a running fish will not createso much tension that the line or the leader will break, yet stillprovide enough tension to control the speed of line run-off.

Typically, the drag mechanisms are adjustable so that the drag torquecan be modified to the appropriate amount. For example, many currentreels utilize a disk brake system comprising a disk and an adjustablecaliper. The disk brake system is usually enclosed within thedisc-shaped body of the reel. The disk brake systems can tend to beheavy and can require assemblies having many parts. A simpler dual conedrag mechanism has been described in a brochure of Mt. Rainier FlyreelWorks. However, this dual cone drag mechanism suffers from beingunstable in that it wobbles creating inconsistent drag and a loose feel.

Therefore, a need exists for an improved fly fishing reel designedspecifically to address the aforementioned disadvantages associated withcurrently available reels. More specifically, the fly fishing reelshould improve line retrieval speeds, reduce line coiling problems,improve line handling, while at the same time being light weight andmaintaining good overall balance of the rod and reel assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved fly fishing reel whichprovides exceptional performance characteristics over previous designs,is light weight, and when attached to a fly rod results in a wellbalanced rod and reel assembly. The reel possesses the benefits of alarge arbor design while eliminating or reducing the effects of thedrawbacks exhibited in previous large arbor designs.

The fly fishing reel of the present invention comprises a spool that hasa larger diameter and a broader width than spools found on typical flyfishing reels. The spool of the present invention preferably has aninner spool diameter of about two inches and a width of about one inchfor a light weight reel and larger inner diameters and widths forheavier weight reels.

The spool is formed of a tubular element having radially extending wallson both ends to form a line storage channel. Due to the larger diameterand the increased width of the spool, the line storage channel of thespool may be relatively shallow. The present invention has a preferredline storage depth of approximately 0.3″. The line storage depth mayvary somewhat depending on the line weight design of the reel and theamount of backing line desired. The present invention contemplates apreferred line-storage aspect ratio (ratio of the spool width to thespool depth) of between approximately 2.5:1 and 4:1.

The spool is rotatably supported by a reel body, preferably throughroller bearings, attached at the center of the spool to a spindle.Instead of the typical disc shaped enclosure used in many present flyreel designs, the body comprises an arm-like structure. The reel bodyconfiguration of the present invention reduces the weight of the supportstructure by eliminating unnecessary material.

In a further aspect of the present invention, an innovative mountingmember for attaching the reel to a fly fishing rod is provided on theend of the arm-like body opposite the connection to the spool. Themounting member may be integral with the body or it may be a separatepart attached to the body. In a further feature, the mounting member maybe pivotally connected to the body that enables adjustment of therelationship of the reel to the rod axis to suit the preferences ofdifferent individuals.

The configuration of the body and mounting member are uniquelyconfigured so that the longitudinal axis of the fly rod intersects theperimeter of the spool. In previous large spool designs the reel isattached entirely below the fly rod and, therefore, increasing the spooldiameter moved the center of mass of the reel further from the axis ofthe rod. Whereas in previous designs the reel is attached entirely belowthe fly rod, the present invention moves the center of mass of the reelcloser to the axis of the fly rod. Moving the center of mass of the reelcloser to the axis of the rod reduces the moment of inertia of the reelabout the rod connection point thereby reducing the destabilizingeffects exhibited by previous large spool reels.

In an additional aspect of the present invention, an improved dragmechanism is provided. The drag mechanism is a unidirectional brakecomprising an inner race member and an outer race member. In a preferredrace configuration, the outer race member is fixed to, or integral with,the reel body and the inner race member is disposed between the outerrace member and the spindle. In an alternative race configuration, theouter race member is disposed on, and rotates with, the spool.

The outer race member constitutes a female part with an interior racesurface defining a conical frictional bearing surface of revolutionabout the axis of rotation of the spool. The inner race member forms amale part with an exterior race surface defining a conical frictionalbearing surface that fits into the outer race member. The inner racesurface and outer race surface form opposing parallel conical frictionalbearing surfaces.

To create drag, the inner and outer race members are pushed axiallyrelative to one another thereby urging the conical race surfaces intocontact. A biasing mechanism is employed to provide axial force to biasthe inner race member toward the outer race member, or vice versa. Theamount of drag torque may be adjusted by adjusting the biasing mechanismto change the amount of force pushing the race members into contact witheach other.

To produce a unidirectional drag mechanism, a roller clutch is disposedbetween the spindle and the inner race member. In the “reeling indirection,” the roller clutch allows the spool to freewheel in the“reeling in direction” such that the inner race member and outer racemember do not rotate relative to one another. In the “reeling outdirection,” the roller clutch locks causing relative rotation of theinner and outer race members which creates frictional drag on therotation of the spool.

In still another aspect of the present invention, the roller clutch maybe carried by a reversible clutch ring. The clutch ring detachablycouples to the inner race member. The clutch ring is reversible in a waythat reverses the locking direction of the roller clutch relative to thespool, thereby allowing the reel to be converted from left hand wind toright hand wind, and vice versa.

The clutch ring design provides at least two important benefits. First,the clutch ring allows the reel to be quickly and simply converted fromleft hand wind to right hand wind without changing out any parts. Noother parts are required, and all the original parts are reinstalled sothat they do not become lost or a nuisance to store. Second, installingthe roller clutch into the clutch ring instead of the inner race membereliminates the need to configure the inner race member to receive theroller clutch, such as by bonding a metal sleeve into the inner racemember.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved fly fishing reel.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedlarge arbor fly fishing reel.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improvedfishing reel drag mechanism.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fly fishingreel having an improved attachment configuration which improves thebalance of a rod and reel assembly.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight reel design.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reel which is quicklyand easily convertible from right hand wind to left hand wind, and viceversa.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fly fishing reel in accordance with afirst preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a fly fishing reel inaccordance with the first preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of a fly fishing reel in accordance withthe first preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of a fly fishing reel having a center axismounting member in accordance with the present invention attached to afishing rod.

FIG. 5 is left side view of a fly fishing reel having a center axismounting member in accordance with the present invention attached to afishing rod.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a fly fishing reel having an adjustablemounting member in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a fly fishing reel having an adjustable lineguide in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fly fishing reel in accordance with asecond preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the fly fishing reel of FIG.8.

FIG. 10 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the fly fishing reel ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the fly fishing reel ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the fly fishing reel ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a fly fishing reel having anotherembodiment of a drag mechanism in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a fly fishing reel having stillanother alternative form of a drag mechanism in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a fly fishing reel having yetanother embodiment of a drag mechanism in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 16 is a exploded perspective view of the fly fishing reel of FIG.15.

FIG. 17 is another exploded perspective view of the fly fishing reel ofFIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective view of the inner race member of thefly fishing reel of FIG. 15.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged perspective view of the clutch ring of the flyfishing reel of FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-3 show a fly fishing reel 10according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. Thefly fishing reel 10 comprises an innovative large arbor spool 12rotatably supported by a reel body 14 through a spindle 16.

The spool 12 comprises a tubular element 18 having radially extendingwalls 20,22 on each end to form a line storage channel 24. The walls 20,22 may have holes 21 in them to reduce the weight and provide somestyling. The wall 22 has a labyrinth groove 19 which receives a flange17 to prevent the fly line (not shown) from slipping off the reel 10.The line storage channel 24 has a depth 30 and a width 28.

The tubular element 18 forms the bottom of the line storage channel 24and has a diameter 26 which is larger than conventional fly fishingreels. Whereas conventional reels have spool inner diameters of aboutone-half inch, the diameter 26 of the present invention is preferably,approximately: 2″ for an {fraction (0/1)} weight reel; 2.25″ for a ¾weight reel; 2.4″ for a ⅚ weight reel; and appropriately large diametersfor any other size reel. Also, the width 28 of the tubular element 18 iswider than for conventional fly fishing reels, and is preferably betweenabout X inches and Y inches. Hence, the large arbor spool 12 has alarger diameter 26 and larger width 28 than conventional fly fishingreels. As a result of the larger diameter 26 and increased width of thelarge arbor spool 12, the line storage channel depth 30 may be veryshallow relative to conventional fly fishing reels. The aspect ratio ofthe spool 12, which is the ratio of the spool width 28 to the spooldepth 30, is preferably 2.5:1 or greater, and more preferably betweenapproximately 2.5:1 and 4:1.

The tubular element 18 and the walls 20, 22 are connected to a hub 32 bysupports 34. Any number of supports 34 may be utilized but two supports34 are preferred to reduce the overall weight of the reel 10. One of thesupports 34 is larger than the other to counterbalance the mass of ahand crank 36 attached to the spool 12.

The hand crank 36 is rotatably attached to the spool 12 usingappropriate fasteners such as a screw 38 and washer 40 as shown. Thehand crank 36 is preferably attached to one of the supports 34, but mayalternatively be attached to the wall 22.

The spool 12 is supported by the reel body 14 by inserting the spindle16 through the hub 32. The hub 32 may ride directly on the spindle 16,or bearing(s) (not shown) may be provided between the hub 32 and thespindle 16. Furthermore, an o-ring seal 38 may be installed between thespindle 16 and the spool 12 to prevent moisture and dirt from enteringthe hub 32. The spindle 16 is attached to the body 14 preferably using anut 40 threaded onto threads of the spindle 16.

The reel body 14 comprises an arm-like structure having a line guideportion 42 and a mounting member portion 44. A conventional mountingfoot 46 is attached to the mounting member portion 44 of the body bymeans of two screws 48, for instance. The reel 10 is attached to afishing rod (not shown) by affixing the mounting foot 46 to a matingcoupling member (not shown) on the fishing rod.

In this embodiment, a clicker drag mechanism 50 is employed. The clickerdrag mechanism 50 comprises a clicker 52 attached to the reel body 14 bymeans of a nut 54 and a bolt 56. The spool 12 is provided with acircular pattern of detents 58 that receive the clicker 52. The clicker52 is configured such that it produces significantly greater drag withthe detents 58 when the spool 12 is rotating in the “reeling outdirection” than in the “reeling in direction.”

In an alternative embodiment of the reel 10 of FIGS. 1-3, the reel body14 may be configured with an innovative reduced moment mounting member64, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Instead of the body 14 having themounting member portion 44 described above with respect to FIGS. 1-3,the reel 60 of FIGS. 4 and 5 has a body 62 having mounting member 64.The reel 60 of FIGS. 3 and 4 is in all respects the same as the reel 10described above in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2, except for the body andmounting member. The mounting member 64 extends from the body 62 so thatthe center axis 66 of the mounting member 64 and a handle 72 of afishing rod 70 attached thereto crosses the circumference of the spool12. In this way, the center of mass of the reel 60 is closer to thecenter axis 66 of the fishing rod 70 than in the embodiment of FIGS.1-3. In the preferred form, the mounting member 64 is configured so thatthe circumference of the spool 60 does not extend, or extends only asmall distance, above the perimeter of the fishing rod handle 72. If thereel is mounted such that the spool 60 extends too far above the handle72, the spool 60 interferes with the fisherman's wrist, making the reelawkward and uncomfortable to use.

In another aspect, the fly fishing reels according to the presentinvention may have an adjustable mounting member 80 as shown in FIG. 6.The adjustable mounting member 80 is pivotally connected to a body 82.The adjustable mounting member 80 permits the adjustment of therelationship of the reel 84 to the rod 70 to fit each individualfisherman.

As shown in FIG. 7, in an additional feature of the present invention, aline guide 90 may be detachable and/or adjustable. Instead of being afixed member 44 of the reel body 14 as described above, the line guide90 is pivotally connected to the reel body 92.

The adjustable mounting member 80 and adjustable line guide 90 featurescan also be used together in the same fishing reel. This allows thefisherman to adjust the line guide 90 to compensate for adjustments inthe mounting angle of the reel. Moreover, it is to be understood thatthe adjustable mounting member 80 and adjustable line guide 90 features,and the center axis mounting member 64 can be adapted for use with anyof the embodiments of the fishing reels of the present invention.

Turning now to FIGS. 8-12, a fly fishing reel 100 according to a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The flyfishing reel 100 utilizes an innovative dual cone drag mechanism 110.

Similar to the first preferred embodiment described above, the flyfishing reel 100 comprises a large arbor spool 102 rotatably supportedby a reel body 104 through a spindle 106. In fact, the reel 100comprises many of the same elements as the reel 12 described above.Throughout the description and figures, like reference numerals refer tolike elements and therefore, some elements are not explicitly describedfor all figures.

The large arbor spool 102 is in most respects identical to the spool 12described above except that spool 102 does not have the detents 58 andit has a different hub. Walls 20,22 of spool 102 may have holes 21 likespool 12 above, even though the holes 21 are not shown in FIGS. 9-12.The spool 102 has a hub 108 connected to supports 34. The spindle 106 isfixed to the hub 108 by threading the spindle 106 into the hub 108 suchthat the spindle 106 rotates with the hub 108.

The drag mechanism 110 is a unidirectional brake comprising an innerrace member 112 and an outer race member 114. The outer race member 114is fixed to, or integral with, the reel body 104 so that it does notrotate. The inner race member 112 is disposed between the spindle 106and the outer race member 114.

The inner race member 112 forms a male part having an exterior racesurface 116 defining a conical frictional bearing surface of revolution116 about the axis of rotation of the spool 102. On each end of theexterior race surface 116 is a cylindrical section 115 where theexterior race surface 116 is no longer conical. The outer race member114 forms a female part that receives the inner race member 112 and hasan interior race surface 118 defining a conical frictional bearingsurface of revolution about the axis of rotation of the spool 102. Oneach end of the interior race surface 118 is a cylindrical section 119where the interior race surface 118 is no longer conical. The exteriorrace surface 116 and the interior race surface 118 form opposingparallel conical frictional bearing surfaces. The matching cylindricalsections 115 and 119 improve the stability of the drag mechanism 110.

In order to create frictional drag, the inner race member 112 is pulledtoward the outer race member 114 by a puller 128. The left end of thepuller 128 has a flange which rests against a thrust bearing 130 whichin turn bears against a flange on the inner race member 112. The rightend of the puller 128 extends through holes in the inner race member 112and the outer race member 114 and is fastened to the outer race member114 using a drag adjustment nut 132. The right end of the puller 128 andthe hole in the body 104 may be keyed to prevent rotation of the puller128. The puller 128 provides axial force which pulls the inner racemember 112 toward the outer race member 114 thereby forcing the exteriorrace surface 116 and interior race surface 118 into contact. The amountof drag may be changed by adjusting the drag adjustment nut 132.

The inner race member 112 is preferably made from a plastic materialthat produces a good friction surface, such as acetal (available fromDupont under the trade name Delron). Because plastic provides a poorsurface for press fitting bearings, a sleeve 124, preferably made frommetal such as stainless steel or titanium, may be pressed into the innerrace member 112. A pair of roller bearings 120 and a roller clutch 126are press fit into the sleeve 124. Alternatively, the inner race member112 may be made of aluminum, or other suitable metal, which is coatedwith a lubricous material such as Teflon. In this case, the rollerbearings 120 and roller clutch 126 may be press fit directly into theinner race member 112, eliminating the need for the sleeve 124.

To produce a unidirectional drag mechanism, the roller clutch 126 isinstalled on the spindle 106. Hence, the outer diameter of the rollerclutch 126 is fixed to the inner race member 112 and the inner diameterof the roller clutch 126 receives the spindle 106. The inner diameter ofthe roller clutch 126 is configured such that it locks onto an elementinserted into the inner diameter when rotating in one direction andallows the element to freewheel when rotating in the opposite direction.

In the present invention, when the spool 102 and spindle 106 rotate inthe “reeling in direction,” the spindle 106 freewheels within the rollerclutch 126 allowing the spindle 106 and spool 102 to rotate freely,while the inner race member remains static or at least substantiallystatic. The roller clutch 126 locks onto the spindle 106 when the spool102 and spindle 106 rotate in the “reeling out direction,” such that theinner race member 112 rotates with the spool 102 and spindle 106. Theinner race member 112 rotates in contact with the outer race member 114thereby creating drag in the “reeling out direction.”

The spool 102 is rotatably supported by the body 10 installed on thespindle 106 and pressed into the inner race member 112. The bearings 120between the spindle 106 and the inner race member permit the spindle 106and spool 102 to rotate independently within the inner race member 112in the “reeling in direction.”

The rotating assembly including the spool 102, the spindle 106, theroller bearings 120, the roller clutch 126 and the inner race member 112are rotatably received in the outer race member 14 of the body 104. Thespindle 106 and the inner diameter of the sleeve 124 may be providedwith bring grooves 122 and 123, respectively, into which an o-ring 125fits. The o-ring grooves 122 and 124 act as detents which in conjunctionwith the o-ring 125 hold the rotating assembly in the body. (see FIG.12).

A fly fishing reel 140 having an alternative dual cone drag mechanism142 is shown in the cross-section of FIG. 13. The reel 140 is similar tothe reel 100 described above and comprises a similar large arbor spool144 supported by a body 146 through a spindle 148. It should beunderstood that reel 140 may embody all of the features and aspectsdescribed for reel 100 and therefore, the descriptions may not beexplicitly repeated with respect to reel 140.

The drag mechanism 142 utilizes an alternative race configurationwherein the outer race member 150 is attached to, and rotates with, thespool 144. The outer race member 150 may be integral to the spool 146,or it may be a separate part fixedly attached to the spool 144. Theinner race member 152 is disposed between the spindle 148 and the outerrace member 150.

The inner race member 152 and outer race member 150 are very similar tothose described above, and likewise form opposing parallel conicalfrictional bearing surfaces. The inner race member 152 and outer racemember 150 are forced together into contact by a series of elements,thereby forcing the opposing conical bearing surfaces into contact. Adrag adjustment nut 162 delivers axial load against an elastomer o-ring166 which transmits the axial load to a washer 168. The washer 168 ispreferably made of a lubricous material such as delron. The washer 168delivers the axial load to a raised lip of a cap 170 attached to the endof the outer race member 150. The raised lip reduces the rotatingsurface area which contacts the washer 168 to reduce the friction whilestill maintaining a good seal. A counter axial load holds the inner racemember 152 in place and is provided by a shoulder of a sleeve 160pressed into the inner race member 152. The shoulder of the sleeve 160bears against a roller bearing 163 which bears against a shoulder of thespindle the body 146 which bears against the left bearing 163 whichbears against a shoulder of the spindle 148. Another shoulder of thespindle 148 loads against the body 146. A nut 172 threads onto thespindle 148 to attach the spindle 148 to the body 146.

As mentioned previously, the sleeve 160, similar to the sleeve describedabove, is pressed into the inner race member 152. A roller clutch 158,similar to the one described above, and roller bearings 163 and 164 arepress fit into the sleeve 160.

The rotating assembly including the cap 170, the roller bearings 163,164, and the roller clutch 158 are rotatably installed onto the spindle148. The spool 144 and the outer race member 150 are rotatably installedonto the inner race member 152 and the drag adjustment nut 162 threadsonto the spindle 148 to hold the spool 144 and the outer race memberonto the reel 140.

The drag mechanism 142 operates as follows. When the spool 144 and outerrace member 150 are rotated in the “reeling in line” direction theroller clutch 158 freewheels about the spindle allowing the inner racemember 160 to rotate at least substantially synchronously with the outerrace member 150 which also allows the spool 144 to freewheel. When thespool 144 and outer race member 150 are rotated in the “reeling outline” direction, corresponding to the locking direction of the rollerclutch 158, the roller clutch 158 locks onto the spindle 158 whichprevents the inner race member 152 from rotating whereby the outer racemember 150 rotates in contact with the inner race member 152 creatingdrag.

Referring to FIG. 14, a fly fishing reel 170 having yet anotherembodiment of a dual cone drag mechanism 172 is shown according to thepresent invention. The fly fishing reel 170 is similar in most respectsto the fly fishing reel 140 described above except for the differentembodiment of the dual cone drag mechanism 172. Like the reels 100 and140 above, the fly fishing reel 170 comprises a large arbor spool 202received on a spindle 201, both of which are supported by a hub 221 of areel body 208. Again, it is contemplated that the reel 170 may embodyany or all of the features and aspects described for reels 100 and 140and therefore, the descriptions may not be explicitly repeated withrespect to reel 170.

Like the drag mechanisms 110 and 142 described above, the drag mechanism172 is a unidirectional brake comprising an inner race member 206 and anouter race member 209 forming opposing parallel conical frictionalbearing surfaces. The optimization of the angle of taper of the conicalbearing surfaces (relative to the axis of rotation) is a tradeoffbetween the amount of bearing surface area and the stability of thestructure. A shallower angle of taper creates more bearing surface areafor a given diameter of the hub 221 of the reel, while a steeper anglereduces the bearing surface area. However, above 20° of taper, thebearing surfaces of the inner and outer race members 206 and 209 have atendency to lock together rather than slipping smoothly against eachother thereby producing unpredictable braking. Hence, a taper below 20°is recommended and a taper of approximately 20° is preferred.

The outer race member 209 has a female conical bearing surface and isinserted into the hub 221 of the body 208. In a particularly innovativeaspect of the present invention, the outer race member 209 may beallowed to float in the body 208 using o-rings 218 rather than beingfixed to the body 208 such as by press fitting the outer race member 209into the body 208. This feature reduces the criticality of theconcentricity of the inner race member 206 and the outer race member 209thereby improving producibility and simplifying the assembly process.

The inner race member 206 has a male conical bearing surface which isreceived by the female conical bearing surface of the outer race member209 to form opposing parallel conical frictional bearing surfaces. Theinner race member 206 is rotatably mounted on the spindle 201 through apair of roller bearings 204 and a roller clutch 205 by press fitting theouter race of the roller bearings 204 and roller clutch 205 into a boreof the inner race member 206. The inner race of the roller bearings 204slips onto the spindle 201. Of course, other suitable attachment methodsmay be used to fix the roller bearings 204 and roller clutch 205 to theinner race member 206 such as adhesives or fasteners. The roller clutch205 operates the same as the roller clutch 126 described above.

A puller 212 is provided to bias the opposing frictional bearingsurfaces of the inner and outer race members 206 and 209 together intocontact. The left end of the puller 212 has a flange which bears againsta thrust bearing 210 which in turn bears against a flange on the innerrace member 206. The right end of the puller 212 extends through axialholes in the inner race member 206 and the outer race member 209 and issecured to a drag adjustment nut 215 through mating threads. An e-clip213 as shown, or other suitable device, may be attached to the puller212 to prevent the drag adjustment nut 215 from being screwed completelyoff the puller 212. The drag adjustment nut 215 bears against a wavewasher 216 which is installed between the drag adjustment nut 212 andthe body 208. A pin 211 is inserted through a hole in the puller 212 andthe pin rides in a slot in the body 208. The pin 211 and slot allowaxial movement of the puller 211 while preventing rotation of the puller211.

To seal the drag mechanism from moisture and dirt, an o-ring 217 may beinstalled between the nut 215 and the body 208 and a cap 214 may beplaced on the nut 212. The puller 212 provides axial force which pullsthe inner race member 206 into the outer race member 209 thereby forcingthe opposing bearing surfaces into contact. The amount of drag may beadjusted by tightening or loosening the drag adjustment nut 215.

A gland 203 fitted with an o-ring 220 is inserted into the hub 221 toseal the left end of the hub 221. A wire retainer 219 is press fit intoa groove in the hub 221 to secure the gland in the hub 221. The gland203 has a sleeve portion 222 which receives the left end of the innerrace member 206 and provides support for the inner race member 206 tohelp maintain the concentricity of the inner and outer race members 206and 209.

In use, the drag mechanism 172 operates as follows. When the spool 202and attached spindle 201 are rotated in the “reeling in line” direction,the roller clutch 205 freewheels about the spindle 201 allowing thespool 202 and spindle 201 to rotate independently of the inner racemember 206 which remains substantially stationary. The roller clutch 205locks onto the spindle 201 when the spool 202 and spindle are rotated inthe “reeling out line” direction, such that the inner race member 206rotates with the spool 202 and spindle 201. The inner race member 206rotates in contact with the outer race member 209 creating rotationaldrag on the spool 202.

FIGS. 15-17 depict a fly fishing reel 250 having still anotherembodiment of a dual cone drag mechanism 252 according to the presentinvention. The fly fishing reel 250 is in most respects the same as thereel 170 described above except for the different embodiment of the dragmechanism 252. Consequently, like reference numerals are used to referto like elements between the figures and descriptions of the reel 250and the reel 170 and therefore, some elements may not be explicitlydescribed with respect to reel 250. Moreover, it is again contemplatedthat any feature and aspect described above for reels 100, 140 and 170may readily be combined with any of the features and aspects of the reel250.

Like the other drag mechanisms described herein, the drag mechanism 252is a dual cone unidirectional brake comprising an inner race member 254.The components making up the drag mechanism 252 of reel 250 are the sameas those in the drag mechanism 172, described above, except for theinner race member and the addition of a clutch ring 256. Referring tothe enlarged view of FIG. 18, the inner race member 254 has a maleconical frictional bearing surface which is received by the femaleconical bearing surface of the outer race member 209. The inner racemember 254 has two tabs 258 extending axially from the side opposite theconical bearing surface. The tabs 258 are preferably positioned 180degrees apart on the circumference of the inner race member 254.Additional tabs 258 and/or alternative placement of the tabs 258 may beutilized so long as the clutch ring 256 is made to match. The inner racemember 254 is preferably made from a plastic material such as acetal(available from Dupont under the trade name Delron) or Torlon.

The clutch ring 256, shown in detail in FIG. 19, is cylindrical and hastwo sets of recesses 264, a first set 260 and a second set 262. Thefirst and second sets of recesses 260 and 262 each have a pair ofrecesses 264 located and shaped to receive the tabs 258 of the innerrace member 254 when the clutch ring and inner race member 254 aremated. The first set 260 and second set 262 are on opposite sides of theclutch ring 256 and are preferably rotated radially 90 degrees from eachother. The clutch ring 256 is preferably formed from metal such asaluminum because the roller clutch 205 is press fit into a bore in theclutch ring 256. Using metal ensures a secure and reliable press fit ofthe outer race of the roller clutch 205 to the bore of the clutch ring256 for transmitting torque from the roller clutch 205 to the clutchring 256.

It is understood that the configuration of the tabs 258 and recesses 264can be reversed such that the tabs 258 on the inner race member 254 arereplaced with recesses and the recesses 264 on the clutch ring 256 arereplaced with tabs.

In the drag mechanism 252 assembly, the clutch ring 256 and rollerclutch 205 are installed onto the spindle 201 with the inner diameter ofthe roller clutch 205 receiving the spindle 201. The clutch ring 256mates with the inner race member 254 such that one of the first orsecond set of recesses 260 or 262 receives the tabs 258, depending onthe orientation of the clutch ring 256. The orientation of the clutchring 256, i.e. the first set 260 or the second set 262 mating to theinner race member 254, determines the direction of rotation of the spool202 in which the clutch ring 256 will lock onto the spindle 201 therebyresulting in drag. Hence, by reversing the orientation of the clutchring 256, the reel 250 can be converted from left hand wind to righthand wind (or vice versa).

Thus, in a particularly innovative aspect of the reel 250, the dragmechanism 252 allows quick and simple conversion of a fully assembledreel 250 from left hand wind to right hand wind. For purposes ofdescribing the conversion procedure, assume that the reel 250 isassembled with the clutch ring 256 oriented with the first set ofrecesses 260 mated to the inner race member 254. First, the spool 202and spindle 201 are removed from the drag mechanism 252. Then, the gland203 is removed by unthreading it from the body 208. The clutch ring 256is slid out, flipped around and reinstalled with the second set ofrecesses 262 mated to the inner race member 254. Finally, the gland 203,spool 202 and spindle 201 are reinstalled. Now, the reel 250 may bemounted on a fishing rod with the handle 36 on the desired side.

While the above description contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather asexamples of preferred embodiments thereof. Many other variations arepossible. For example, many of the features described for one of theembodiments may be implemented in another described embodiment.Moreover, many of the aspects and features described in a singleembodiment may be included independently or in various combinationsother than those included in the preferred embodiments described herein.For instance, a fly fishing reel in accordance with the presentinvention may comprise the following combinations: a large arbor reelwithout the disclosed drag mechanism; a spool having the disclosedaspect ratios without the unique rod attachment configuration; the conedrag mechanism independent of the large arbor spool; or the arm-likebody independent of any of the other aspects and feature describedherein.

Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined notby the embodiments illustrated above, but by the appended claims andtheir legal equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fly fishing reel comprising: a body; a spoolrotatably supported by said body; and a drag mechanism disposed betweensaid spool and said body for creating rotational drag on said spool,said drag mechanism including an inner race member having an exteriortapered bearing surface and an outer race member having an interiortapered bearing surface, said inner race member received within saidouter race member such that said exterior race surface is in contactwith said interior race surface, said outer race member being disposedon said body and said inner race member being unidirectionally coupledto said spool.
 2. The fishing reel of claim 1 wherein said bodycomprises an arm-like structure having a plurality of support membersextending radially outward from an axis of rotation of said spool. 3.The fishing reel of claim 1 wherein said spool includes a line storagechannel having a width and depth in which line is stored, and wherein aratio of said width to said depth is at least approximately 2.5:1. 4.The fishing reel of claim 3 wherein said spool is mounted on a spindle.5. The fishing reel of claim 4 wherein said spindle is integral to saidspool.
 6. The fly fishing reel of claim 4, further comprising a hub,said spindle being reversibly received in said hub.
 7. The fishing reelof claim 6 wherein said outer race member is integral to said hub. 8.The fishing reel of claim 6 further comprising a gland installed in saidhub.
 9. The fishing reel of claim 8 wherein said gland includes a sealfor preventing moisture and dirt from entering the drag mechanism. 10.The fishing reel of claim 4 further comprising a reversible clutch ringhaving a roller clutch, said clutch ring detachably coupled to saidinner race member, and said roller clutch receiving said spindle. 11.The fly fishing reel of claim 10 wherein said inner race member and saidroller clutch are coupled by at least one recess and an interlockingtab, the at least one recess being on one of said inner race member andsaid clutch ring and the interlocking tab being on the other of saidinner race member and said clutch ring.
 12. The fishing reel of claim 4further comprising bearings and a roller clutch installed on saidspindle and disposed between said spindle and said inner race member.13. The fishing reel of claim 1 further comprising a reversing means forconverting the reel between left hand wind and right hand wind.
 14. Thefishing reel of claim 1 wherein said outer race member is integral tosaid body.
 15. The fishing reel of claim 1 wherein said outer racemember rides on at least one o-ring on said body.
 16. The fishing reelof claim 1 wherein said drag mechanism further comprises an adjustablebiasing mechanism operatively coupled to said inner race member toprovide adjustable axial force tending to force the inner race memberinto contact with the outer race member.
 17. The fishing reel of claim16 wherein said biasing mechanism is a puller having one end coupled tosaid inner race member and a second end coupled to said body using adrag adjustment device.
 18. The fishing reel of claim 17 wherein saiddrag adjustment device is a nut.
 19. The fishing reel of claim 17further comprising sealing means for preventing moisture and dirt fromentering the drag mechanism.
 20. The fishing reel of claim 1 whereinsaid inner race member has a cylindrical section on both ends of saidexterior tapered bearing surface and said outer race member has acylindrical section on both ends of said interior tapered bearingsurface which receives the cylindrical sections on said inner racemember.
 21. The fishing reel of claim 1, further comprising a mountingmember attached to said body, wherein said mounting member is adapted toposition the reel when attached to the fishing rod such that alongitudinal axis of the fishing rod intersects a perimeter of the spooland such that the perimeter of the spool extends above a perimeter of afishing rod handle connected to said fishing rod.
 22. The fishing reelof claim 1 wherein said inner race member is unidirectionally coupled tosaid spool using a roller clutch disposed between said spool and saidinner race member.
 23. The fishing reel of claim 22 wherein said spoolis mounted on a spindle and said roller clutch is coupled to saidspindle.
 24. A fly fishing reel comprising: a body; a spool supported bysaid body; and a drag mechanism disposed between said spool and saidbody for creating rotational drag on said spool, said drag mechanismincluding an inner race member having an exterior tapered bearingsurface and an outer race member having an interior tapered bearingsurface, said inner race member received within said outer race membersuch that said exterior race surface is in contact with said interiorrace surface, said outer race member being disposed on said spool andsaid inner race member being unidirectionally coupled to said body. 25.The fishing reel of claim 24 wherein said body comprises an arm-likestructure having a plurality of support members extending radiallyoutward from an axis of rotation of said spool.
 26. The fishing reel ofclaim 24 wherein said spool includes a line storage channel having awidth and depth in which line is stored, and wherein a ratio of saidwidth to said depth is at least approximately 2.5:1.
 27. The fishingreel of claim 24 wherein said spool is mounted on a spindle.
 28. Thefishing reel of claim 27 wherein said spindle is integral to said spool.29. The fly fishing reel of claim 27, further comprising a hub, saidspindle being reversibly received in said hub.
 30. The fishing reel ofclaim 29 wherein said inner race member is integral to said hub.
 31. Thefishing reel of claim 29 further comprising a gland installed in saidhub.
 32. The fishing reel of claim 31 wherein said gland includes a sealfor preventing moisture and dirt from entering the drag mechanism. 33.The fishing reel of claim 27 further comprising a reversible clutch ringhaving a roller clutch, said clutch ring detachably coupled to saidouter race member, and said roller clutch receiving said spindle. 34.The fly fishing reel of claim 33 wherein said outer race member and saidroller clutch are coupled by at least one recess and an interlockingtab, the at least one recess being on one of said outer race member andsaid clutch ring and the interlocking tab being on the other of saidouter race member and said clutch ring.
 35. The fishing reel of claim 27further comprising bearings and a roller clutch installed on saidspindle and disposed between said spindle and said outer race member.36. The fishing reel of claim 24 further comprising a reversing meansfor converting the reel between left hand wind and right hand wind. 37.The fishing reel of claim 24 wherein said inner race member is integralto said body.
 38. The fishing reel of claim 24 wherein said outer racemember rides on at least one o-ring on said body.
 39. The fishing reelof claim 24 wherein said drag mechanism further comprises an adjustablebiasing mechanism operatively coupled to said outer race member toprovide adjustable axial force tending to force the outer race memberinto contact with the inner race member.
 40. The fishing reel of claim39 wherein said biasing mechanism is a puller having one end coupled tosaid outer race member and a second end coupled to said body using adrag adjustment device.
 41. The fishing reel of claim 40 wherein saiddrag adjustment device is a nut.
 42. The fishing reel of claim 24wherein said inner race member has a cylindrical section on both ends ofsaid exterior tapered bearing surface and said outer race member has acylindrical section on both ends of said interior tapered bearingsurface which receives the cylindrical sections on said inner racemember.
 43. The fishing reel of claim 24 further comprising a mountingmember attached to said body, wherein said mounting member is adapted toposition the reel when attached to the fishing rod such that alongitudinal axis of the fishing rod intersects a perimeter of the spooland such that the perimeter of the spool extends above a perimeter of afishing rod handle connected to said fishing rod.
 44. The fishing reelof claim 24 wherein said outer race member is unidirectionally coupledto said spool using a roller clutch disposed between said spool and saidouter race member.
 45. The fishing reel of claim 44 wherein said spoolis mounted on a spindle and said roller clutch is coupled to saidspindle.
 46. The fishing reel of claim 24 further comprising sealingmeans for preventing moisture and dirt from entering the drag mechanism.47. A fly fishing reel comprising: a spool rotatably supported by abody; said spool including a line storage channel having a width and adepth in which line is stored; said body comprising an arm-likestructure having a plurality of support members extending radiallyoutward from an axis of rotation of said spool; and a mounting memberattached to said body for attaching the reel to a fishing rod, saidmounting member attached to said body, wherein said mounting member isadapted to position the reel when attached to the fishing rod such thata longitudinal axis of the fishing rod intersects a perimeter of thespool and such that the perimeter of the spool extends above a perimeterof a fishing rod handle connected to said fishing rod.